Kàtár
by ShadowofaHeart
Summary: Never stop running, and never look back. The minute you do, it will consume you. You won't have a chance. Nothing, not anything will be able to save you. So don't stop running, and whatever you do, don't look back.
1. Chapter 1

**Kàtár**

"_**I do not fear the Darkness. I only fear what lies within."**_

It was creeping me out. Like, I knew I was supposed to be grateful for gifts and all, but this thing was just... weird. Its beady black eyes seemed to follow me everywhere. And when I could have sworn I had turned it a certain way, it always seemed to be facing me. I wanted to return it, but there wasn't a return address. And I was afraid of what would happen if I destroyed it.

It all started this morning. The mail had just been delivered, so I was going to get it. When I opened the door, there was of course my normal bills, letters, junk mail, and some other things. But there was also a small package. It was just a plain white box, the only words on it were on the top: _To Roxas Strife_. That's it. So, being the curious twenty year old that I am, I had opened it.

Never, ever, _ever_ open a box when you don't know who it's from. I learned that the hard way. The package held one item: a plastic doll. But not just any doll. A _clown_. At first, I thought my best friend, Axel Char, was playing a Halloween prank on me, but when I called him, he denied everything. Even went so far as to swear on his lighters he didn't do it. And if there's one thing Axel doesn't do, it's risk his lighters' safety.

I had put it on the mantle, planning to get rid of it later because, frankly, I didn't like clowns. _At all_. So I had left it there and continued my day. It didn't go very normally, though. I constantly found myself passing that room, and I always had the feeling that it was staring at me. But every time I looked, it seemed fine.

I had grabbed the box, trying to figure out some clue as to who sent it. I turned it around, inside-out, upside-down. Finally, success. Well, sort of. On the bottom of the box was a symbol I had never seen before. It looked like a silver, upside-down heart, with three thorns connected to it at the top. It didn't help me but increase my unease. I was getting rid of it. _Now_.

Except when I went to get it, it was gone. It wasn't on the mantle. I searched the house, all in vain. No sign of the clown. Like it had completely vanished from thin air; it never existed, it was all just in my head.

You know that feeling you get when you just _know _something bad is going to happen? That feeling of jumpiness, so much so that you're afraid of anything and everything? The darkness and shadows themselves seem to have eyes, and you're scared of your own reflection. Worried some half-zombie half-human creature will show instead. You don't want to look, but the other half of you, the brave part of you, insists. You take a peek, thinking of the most gruesome, bloodied disaster in the place of you... and it's only your reflection. But that feeling won't go away. The music of death continues to play, the script of your demise is written, and you're acting the scene now.

There was a clown doll on the loose in my house. I was out of there. As I tried to go outside the front door, though, I saw it. Standing right in front of the door, with an evil grin on its face, was the clown doll. I froze, not daring to breathe. A cold wind blew down my neck, like someone was breathing on me. I shivered as goosebumps formed on my arms, the hairs on the back of my neck raising.

It started as a whisper, then grew louder and louder and louder. "_Play... Play... Play..."_ it kept saying. I knew it was the clown. What else could it be? It seemed like one voice, but at the same time many, in high-pitched, low-pitched, echoing demands. "_Play... Play... Play..._" The house was freezing all of a sudden, and all I could hear was the doll. Screaming in my ear in whispers, shrieks, painful noises that were both too high and too low to hear.

"_Play with me... Play with me... Play with me..."_ I clutched my head, wishing for it to stop but knowing it wouldn't. I fell to my knees, praying for mercy. I dared not open my eyes, fearing how close it would be to me now. The room seemed to spin around me, images in my mind blurring into colors, colors blurring into a picture, a person, a thing: the clown.

"_Play with me, Roxas... Play with me, Roxas... Play with me, Ro-"_ It all stopped suddenly, and the front door flew open. I chanced a glance up, and saw Xion Fair, my other best friend. She looked like she had rushed out the door, her black hair slightly unkempt and flying around her. Her blue eyes landed on me, and she rushed to my side.

"Roxas? Are you okay? Axel said something was wrong..." She knelt down next to me, resting a hand on my shoulder, the other feeling my forehead. "Man, you're burning up. You should lie down." I nodded weakly, barely registering anything. Xion helped me to my feet and led me to the sofa. "I'll get you some water. It's a good thing I came over..."

"Wait..." I rasped, stopping her by grabbing her arm. She turned her head back to me, tilting it a little. "...The clown. Where is it?"

Xion gave a confused look. "Clown? What clown? I thought you were afrai- I mean, didn't like them."

"I... do." I narrowed my eyes, brows furrowing. "But... didn't you see it?"

"I haven't seen a clown, Roxas. Maybe you just thought you saw one. You've got a pretty bad fever, after all." She pulled her arm out of my grip and headed towards the kitchen.

I placed a hand on my forehead, barely registering the intense heat coming from it. She hadn't seen it? But it was right in front of her. What happened? Was it all a dream? Some freak nightmare forced by a fever? Or all real? Either way, I couldn't get those green eyes out of my head, or that voice...

I turned onto my side, planning to get some rest. Just as my eyes were closing completely, I saw it. In that little slice of vision I had right before darkness, I had seen it. The clown. My eyes shot open, staring in disbelief at the small figurine in front of me. It looked angrier than last time, if that were possible. The grin seemed to be almost... sadistic. My mouth dried, preventing me from yelling for Xion. We stared at each other for what seemed like years. Then I heard it. That barely audible whisper that you can't hear unless you're trying to, but once you hear it, it's louder than a thousand ringing gongs. It was only a sentence, five little words. But it was enough.

"_You should have played, Roxas..."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Kàtár**

"_**There are some things that just can't be explained. Leave it at that."**_

No one said homework was fun. And it isn't. Especially college homework. Luckily, we're allowed to work in groups, so it's a little easier. That doesn't make it any more entertaining. Okay, maybe a little. Point is, we had to do this independent study for our teacher, and we couldn't think of a topic. We, meaning me, Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Though I'd prefer to work with Xion and Axel, they don't take that class. Unfortunately.

We sat in the Usual Spot, our hang out since we were middle-schoolers. Hayner sat on the couch next to Olette, while Pence and I sat on a couple of stray boxes. We were all in deep thought, trying to decide on a topic, when Pence spoke up.

"There's this strange rumor going around... Wanna hear it?"

I shrugged. "Sure."

"You know the place at Sunset Hill where the trains run, right? Well, there's this story about a ghost train that runs through there as well. _The Ghost Train Mystery._"

I rolled my eyes. "You can't seriously believe that, Pence. They're just rumors."

Our conversation had apparently intrigued Hayner. "What's this about a ghost train?"

"It's a mystery..." Pence put his hands around his mouth, trying to make himself sound scarier. "For they say the train is empty. No driver, no conductor, no passengers... _No return._"

Hayner's eyes lit up at this. "We should investigate that for our school project! Pence, you're a genius!"

"Thanks... Can you tell my mom that?"

I stood up and stretched. "I guess it couldn't hurt to check it out..."

"We can take the train to Sunset Station," Olette said, rising. "Do you know what time the ghost train comes, Pence?"

"In around half an hour."

"Let's see, it takes the train about fifteen minutes to get there, and it's a ten minute walk... hmm..."

"So what I'm hearing is: we still have time for ice cream," I interrupted. "We can meet at the station. I'll get the ice cream, and you guys get whatever we need."

* * *

"If the rumors are true, it'll be here any minute..." Pence said. He sat on the ground, legs sprawled out in front of him. Hayner sat next to him, and Olette and I lay on our stomachs, looking over Sunset Hill at the train tracks.

I sighed. "It better hurry up, or I'm going home. I'm starving."

"You ate three ice creams on the way!" Olette pointed out.

"Your point?" I sat up. "This is stupid. There's no 'ghost train'. There's no anything. I'm going." I was about to stand up, when something caught my eye. I froze, then looked at the train tracks. _No way..._ "Look!" I cried, rushing to the edge of the hill and leaning over the fence.

The train was black, white, and red, a black fog surrounding it. It seemed to hover over the tracks as it moved. My eyes were wide, mouth agape as it pulled through the underpass.

"It's really true..." I whispered. "And there's really no one aboard!" I turned to the others, who were looking at me a little strange. "What's the catch? There's gotta be a catch, right?" They just exchanged glances instead of responding. "Then it's real?" No response. "Let's go to the station!" I rushed off, the others following.

When we reached the station, the ghost train was waiting there. I grinned. "Let's go in!" As I started to walk to it, Hayner grabbed my arm, stopping me. I looked back at him. "What?"

"Um... you'll get hurt."

I shrugged his hand off of me. "I'll be fine." I walked up to it, only now realizing the door was closed. I tried to open it, but my hand passed right through it. Well, if my hand did, then maybe... I took a step forward, and walked straight through the door. Inside was pitch-black, and I couldn't see anything. But I could definitely hear.

"Roxas!"

"Move!"

"Get out of the way, Roxas!"

Huh? A bright light flashed in front of me, blinding me momentarily, and when I could see, there was another train in front of me. Heading... straight... for me!

My eyes widened into a deer-in-the-headlights look, and I completely froze. I didn't know what to do; all logic and thought had left me. The train rushed forward, and I blocked my face with my hands, hoping the impact wouldn't hurt... _too_ much.

Nothing. I felt nothing. I looked up, and saw the train... passing through me? I could see the passengers, some talking, some sleeping, but none noticing me. Just as soon as it had happened, it was over, and the train was gone. So... why wasn't I dead? What just happened?

"R-Roxas?"

"He's okay!"

"Call 911!"

Hayner, Pence, and Olette flocked around me, checking to see if I was fine, asking me a million questions I couldn't and didn't answer. I stared at where the train had gone, immovable. Then I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It looked like a gray coated person, but I was too far away to tell for sure. When I looked again, it had disappeared.

There was one thing I couldn't forget, though. The image on the front of the train. Most of them had the signature TT, for Twilight Town. But this one had that heart-shaped symbol on it, just like the box that had the clown in it had. What did it mean?

"_You shouldn't ask questions, Roxas. It's dangerous..."_

Who's there?


	3. Chapter 3

**Kàtár**

"_**You don't get it, do you? That was no reflection, that was another me!"**_

I don't know what possessed me to go back to Sunset Station, but I found myself there a week or two after the train incident. It wasn't like I needed to be there, since that area of town was always the place for relaxation... not thrill rides, but something pushed me into going, so there I went.

As I passed through the place, I remembered another story Pence had told me once, a lot like the Ghost Train Mystery one. He was always into the mystery type of stuff... that and picture taking, which made no sense to me. Give me a skateboard over a camera any day.

Anyway, we had been sitting in the Usual Spot, like any other day, when he mentioned a Doppleganger of some sort hanging around Sunset Terrace.

"You know the waterfall there? Well, some rumor's been going around that instead of a reflection, there's an actual copy of you, standing there. Some have even said it moved when they didn't!"

I didn't believe him at the time, but with all the weird stuff going on these days, what could I believe? Especially as I stood in front of that waterfall. I raised an eyebrow and took a step forward, recognizing my reflection in the water. I waved, it waved. I jumped, it jumped. Seemed normal to me.

That's when it walked out of the water. Straight. Out. It looked like a ghost me, completely transparent, but was obviously me. My eyes widened and I froze as it stepped through me, like the train did. Then it turned around, darkness surrounding it. It changed from a transparent ghost-me to a dark shadow-me. It leaned over in a battle stance as a weapon flashed into its hands. I took a step back, glancing out of the corner of my eye for someone to help. Nobody. It was like the place was deserted.

"_He's coming..._" it sneered.

"...Who?"

"_And he won't stop until he's got you."_

"Wh-What's going on?"

Instead of answering, it raised its weapon and charged. I decided to make a run for it, trying to put as much distance between me and it as I could. I ran to Sunset Station, but the train wasn't there. The place was empty as well. The shadow-me caught up, not looking happy about the run. Its yellow eyes narrowed, and it slung the weapon at me. My legs seemed to be stuck in glue; I couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe. Just helplessly watch as my death grew closer.

I shut my eyes tight, hoping for a painless death, when time seemed to stop. I peeked one eye open, and saw the weapon centimeters from my head. But the shadow-me was nowhere to be seen.

"Roxas!"

I blinked, and the next thing I knew, Axel stood in front of me, waving. The weapon had disappeared.

* * *

"Did you ever get the feeling..." I started. "That someone was out to get you?"

Axel looked at me strange. "Uh... no? ...Why?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "Nothing, it's just... I dunno. Ever since I got that fever a few weeks ago... some weird stuff has happened."

"Like what?"

"Like... well... you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Told him what?" Xion asked, joining us. We sat on top of the Clock Tower, the sun setting in the distance. It was tradition, had been ever since Axel and I had become friends when I was fourteen. A few weeks later, I had met Xion, and well, all three of us just clicked together. So every day we'd go up here and watch the sun set, talking as we ate our sea salt ice creams.

"Roxas thinks someone's trying to get him," Axel answered her, taking a bite out of his ice cream. Xion looked at me, concerned.

"What gave you that idea, Rox?"

"Uh... well..." I scratched the back of my head. "...You know a few weeks ago, when I got that fever?"

"Yeah... I had to take care of you, right?" She nodded, then frowned, remembering something. "You... mentioned something about a clown?"

"That's right. At first, I blamed it all on the fever, y'know? I mean, come on, being attacked by a clown doll? Get real." I laughed weakly. "But... after the train incident... I'm starting to think I didn't imagine it."

"Woah, woah, woah. Wait a minute. What train incident?" Axel narrowed his eyes at me.

"A week or so ago. I was with Hayner, Pence, and Olette, doing our school project. Pence told us about this Ghost Train Mystery, so we were gonna do research on it for our project. Except... nobody saw it. But I did."

"You saw the train?" Xion asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah. I ran to the station and tried to get inside, but when I did, the other train, the real one, was coming. I couldn't get out of the way in time... and..." I trailed off, whispering, "It ran through me."

"Oh, c'mon, Roxas!" Axel laughed after a moment of silence. "How dumb do you think we are to fall for a Halloween prank like that?"

"It's not a prank! It did go straight through me! I saw the passengers, the conductor, everybody, and then it was gone. And I was fine. I _am _fine, obviously." I gestured to myself, irritated. Why didn't he believe me?

Xion's frown deepened. "I don't understand..."

"You and me both... And then today, I was at Sunset Terrace... You know the waterfall there?" They nodded. "Well, apparently there's a rumor going around about a Doppleganger of some sort there. I saw my reflection at first, but then... it walked out of the waterfall. Then it was this shadow-me, and it was attacking me, and... well..." I sighed. "I just... I'm so confused. I just want to know what's going on."

They stared at me for a couple of minutes, then Axel stuck his ice cream in his mouth, looking at the sun. Xion placed a hand on my shoulder, smiling gently.

"Roxas... No matter what, we'll be here for you. We'll help you if we can. You'll be fine."

"Yeah..." I mumbled, not believing her. "...Thanks."

"_He's after you..."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Kàtár**

"_**Dreams... or memories? After all, dreams are just another reality."**_

"_They'll come after you out of nowhere, as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade," Leon warned._

"_So... this is the Key..." Sora muttered, staring at the Keyblade in his hand._

"_That's right. The Keyblade." Aerith confirmed to Donald and Goofy._

"_You can come to other worlds with us on our vessel!" Goofy exclaimed._

"_Donald Duck," Donald said, holding out his hand._

"_Name's Goofy." Goofy placed his hand on top of Donald's._

"_I-I'm Sora," Sora replied, putting his hand on top of the others. "Alright. I'll go with you guys."_

"_As the Keybearer, you must already know: One cannot meddle in the affairs of other worlds!" Triton yelled._

"_I can't believe it... I really flew... Wait till I tell Kai- ...Wonder if she'll believe me... Heh, probably not." Sora grinned, staring in the distance dreamily._

"_So, your heart won this battle..." Beast mused._

"_My friends are my power!" Sora yelled at Riku._

"_Kairi... Kairi's inside me?" Sora panted, staring at the girl as he clutched his chest._

"_So, I shall release you now, Princess. Complete the Keyhole with your power. Open the door, lead me into everlasting Darkness!" Ansem-Riku aimed and started to swing at Sora's chest._

"_Sora!" Kairi called out. Sora's head shot up and he deflected the attack with his Keyblade._

"_Forget it!" Sora spat, staggering to his feet. "There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!"_

"_The heart may be weak, and sometimes, it may even give in. But I've learned, that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!" Sora cried._

"_Kingdom Hearts! Fill me... with the power of … Darkness!" Ansem reached out to the door, but Sora's voice stopped him in his tracks._

"_You're wrong. I know now, without a doubt. Kingdom Hearts... is Light!" The door flew open, Light flooding out. Ansem's eyes widened as the pure Light tore him apart._

"_Light..." he gasped, before exploding into Light._

"_Take care of her," Riku commanded before the doors sealed him in. Sora's shocked face turned serious, and he nodded._

* * *

I sat up quickly, looking around my bedroom frantically. Everything seemed normal, but I didn't relax yet. I rubbed my head, my mind on my dreams.

"Another dream about him..." I mumbled. This wasn't the first time I had seen myself as a boy with spiky brown hair named Sora. According to my dreams, Sora was a 'Keyblade Wielder', able to defeat 'Heartless' with his friends Donald and Goofy. Ridiculous, I know, but you can't blame me for my imagination.

After I had gotten dressed, I headed for the Usual Spot, but it was empty. As I walked through the back alley, I noticed a stick resting against a wall. Not really thinking about my actions, I picked it up and observed it. Yep, definitely a stick. I shook it a few times, swinging it like a weapon, then looked at it again. Still a stick. I narrowed my eyes, then shrugged and threw it behind me.

"What was that about?" I wondered to myself, unsure of my actions. I heard a thump behind me and spun around. The stick I had thrown lay on the ground in front of a figure. It had a thin, sinuous body, seeming unnaturally flexible. On its head the symbol I had seen on both the box and the train was emblazoned. It wore a light grey jumpsuit that covered its entire body, including its head. I took a step back.

"Who... Who are you?"

Its mouth was really a zipper, and unzipped to reveal a grey, sharp-toothed mouth underneath. It was this mouth it opened to answer me.

"_We have come for you."_

My eyes widened. "M-Me? Why?"

Instead of answering, it jumped into the air, hovered, then headed straight for me. Paralyzed in fear for only a moment, I ran for my life. The streets, like they had been in Sunset Terrace, were deserted. I headed for the Clock Tower, hoping Axel or Xion were there. When I reached the station, though, all the doors were locked. I tugged as hard as I could, but they wouldn't budge. I pounded on the glass, yelling, begging them to let me in. I heard a hiss and looked behind me. Apparently, the creature had friends. Five of them surrounded me, blocking my escape. They walked up to me slowly, knowing I was trapped and enjoying their victory. My back pressed against the glass doors; it was the end.

"_We have come... We have come for you... We have come for you... my liege..."_

My head shot up. "Huh?"

I was blinded by a white light yet again, and everything was back to normal. No creatures, no mysterious voices, no-

"Roxas! What's up?"

-No more empty streets. I grinned weakly at Hayner, hoping I looked well enough. No reason to worry him... after all, he didn't really buy the stories I had been telling him lately.

"Hey, Hayner..." I placed my hands behind my head and leaned into them, crossing my legs in the process. He ran up to me, panting, but his grin never faltered.

"Dude, you would _not _believe the crazy day I had today..." he started. I chuckled at those words. If only he knew the hell I just went through.

"_My liege..."_


	5. Chapter 5

**Renil: Actually, this is AU Twilight Town... I guess I forgot to mention that. ^^;**

* * *

**Kàtár**

"_**It could be some trick of the mind... or... you're being watched."**_

I had a lot of trouble sleeping that night. I kept seeing those creatures in my mind's eye, surrounding me... I was lucky to get away... I'd considered the fact that I may have been visiting an alternate universe or dimension, but it didn't seem to make much sense. Then again, neither did ghosts or demons... or any of this. My thoughts kept me awake, my struggling to make sense of the situation forcing insomnia upon me.

I woke again from a fitful sleep around eight in the morning. Deciding I wasn't getting any more rest, I got up and headed to the bathroom. It was then when I noticed how much this was affecting me. Dark circles hung under my dull blue eyes; my dirty blonde hair seemed more riled up than usual. I ran a hand through it, messing it up even more, and sighed.

I reached for my toothbrush, when I saw something in the mirror's reflection out of the corner of my eye. My head shot up, alert, but I didn't see anything. After looking around for a couple of minutes, I went back to brushing my teeth. I really had to get myself a dog...

Once I had gotten dressed and finished my morning routine, I sat down on a couch and turned on the TV. As the black screen was changing to color, I thought I saw something again. It looked like a person... but I couldn't tell. I blinked and looked again, but it was gone.

After flipping through a hundred channels and finding nothing interesting, I decided to pay Xion a visit. I grabbed my car keys and started to walk out, but noticed the figure in my window's reflection yet again. It was too far away to know who or what it was, and it was gone in the blink of an eye. I hurried out of my house, eager to get away from whatever it was.

* * *

I banged a little hard on Xion's front door, certain the figure was following me. She opened the door after a moment, a puzzled look on her face.

"Roxas? What are you doing here?"

"Uh..." I trailed off nervously, resisting the urge to either look around me frantically or barge inside. "Surprise visit?"

Xion raised an eyebrow, but opened the door wider anyway. "Okay...? Come on in." I all but flew inside and slammed the door closed, leaning against it in relief. Safe. At least... I thought so. I _hoped_ so.

"Roxas, are you okay?" Xion asked, tilting her head. I realized I was breathing fast and hard, like I had just run a marathon. I grinned sheepishly.

"Y-Yeah. Fine..."

"What's going on?"

"...You know how I said weird stuff was happening to me?"

"Uh huh...?"

"Uh, well... I think... I'm being... followed." I slid down the door and pulled my knees to my chest, resting my arms on my knees.

"By who?" Xion sat down next to me, locking the door first, I noticed.

"That, I don't know. I know it's not the guys that tried to attack me yesterday, but... I dunno. It doesn't seem human. I can _feel _that. This guy's bad news."

Xion stared at me, then leaned her head against my shoulder, sighing. We didn't say much after that, just sat and waited. Nothing came, though. No knocks, no bumps, no crashes... It looked like it was all my imagination.

"...Are you hungry?" she offered after a while. I nodded and she stood up. "I'll get us some ice cream, okay?"

"Alright." As she walked away, the air started to feel colder. Goosebumps ran up my arms, and I shivered. Feeling around, the cold seemed to be coming from... under the door.

I shot up from the floor and spun around. The door was still closed and locked, but for some reason, that didn't make me feel safe anymore. The air was frigid now, as cold as ice, but I dared not touch the door. Someone... _something... _was outside. Time seemed to stop as each of us waited for the other's first move. The spell was broken when Xion entered.

"I wasn't sure how many you wanted, so I just brought the whole bo- Roxas?" The air changed to normal, the imminent threat of danger gone. I slowly turned my head to her, blinking repeatedly. She set the box she held down and took a step toward me, but that's all she managed before I ran to her and hugged her tight. If it weren't for her, who knows what would have happened. She was tense for a minute before relaxing and returning the hug. Both of our faces were red when we broke apart, looking anywhere but at each other.

"Umm... I..." I stuttered, unsure of what to say. "...Sorry."

"I-It's fine! I mean, I didn't mind..." Her cheeks turned a darker shade of red as she glanced at me before quickly averting her gaze.

I scratched the back of my neck. "S-Should we have that ice cream now?" I asked, hoping to get rid of the tension.

Xion nodded and grabbed the box, pulling out two sticks and handing one to me. I tore off the wrapper and took a bite, ignoring the brain freeze that came with it.

"Did... something happen when I left?" she asked at last, licking her sea salt. I paused, then nodded my head toward the door.

"Yeah... I think it was at the door, but it didn't come in. It got really cold too... until you came in. Then everything was normal again."

Both of us looked at the door apprehensively, as if it would burst open any moment. Xion looked back at me and grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently.

"We'll talk to Axel tomorrow, okay?"

"Kay..." I sighed. "I wish it would stop... I hate living my life in fear of something I don't know about."

Xion opened her mouth, then stopped and shut it. A cold wind passed through the room, making me tense. It was back. Xion took a step closer to me.

"Was this...?"

"Yes."

Our eyes locked on the door, holding our breaths in fear of whatever lay beyond the door. We jumped when we heard it... a hiss of breath, low-pitched and threatening, echoing throughout the room.

"_Knock knock..."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Kàtár**

"_**Which parts... were the dream... and which parts... were reality?"**_

_He was in a boat. He didn't remember why. He didn't remember where he was going. All he did was row. His face was blank, eyes dull, dead-looking, a frown set on his lips. He had light brown, almost sandy blonde hair, and light blue eyes. His white, buttoned-up collared shirt was torn and ragged, and his black dress pants were ripped to jagged-edged shorts. He wore no shoes, having kicked them off hours earlier. He couldn't have been more than ten years old, yet there he was, rowing his little boat into the ocean, heading straight for a storm._

_'Tidus...'_

_His head whipped around, searching for a sign of the life that had called his name, but, seeing no one, he blamed it on the wind. Perhaps that was his first mistake... or, maybe it didn't matter._

_As he entered the storm, the wind picked up, throwing his hair all around his head. The waves climbed up the sides of the boat, throwing water inside and splashing the mist on his face. Rain beat down, creating bigger puddles on the wooden floor, and thunder rolled in the distance. The world lit up for a moment, the dark night illuminated by a flash of lightening, and out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw red. But as soon as it came, it was gone, and he couldn't be sure of what he saw. Or if he had even seen it._

_His arms were tiring, but he couldn't stop. Someone... _something_... was after him, and if it caught up, he was as good as dead. Not that he was safe there. He was just sick of the mysterious symbols, sick of the hollow whispers, sick of everything. He just wanted things to be normal. He didn't want to run anymore._

_'Tidus...'_

_His head snapped up once again, and he saw it. What used to be a man, now something completely inhuman. Rags for clothes, skin bloodied and bruised, hanging off of his body in strips, nails like talons, teeth like fangs, eyes-_

_Tidus froze, unable to move. The thing's eyes were hollow sockets in his skull, which was more shown than not from the skin dangling off it in torn pieces. But deep inside the dark holes, in the middle of the abyss, there was red. Crimson red, as if pools of blood. They sucked him in, stole his strength, leaving him helpless. The creature grinned, acknowledging his control, closing in on his prey._

_Inside of his head, Tidus was screaming, kicking, fighting for his life; he thought he was doing so in reality as well. But all he did was sit there, body slack, not moving an inch. Around them, the storm raged, but neither took notice, Tidus trapped inside his mind, the creature intent on his prey. The sky brightened again, lighting up his crimson eyes, then all was black._

_**He's coming...**_

_She didn't want to be here. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't be caught dead here. Yet, here she was. And it seemed like this was the only safety she would... _could_ get... for now._

_She had soft brown hair broken into two pigtails tied with yellow ribbons, and emerald eyes. She wore a bright yellow sun dress dotted with white flowers, and matching yellow sandals. Earlier that morning she had puzzled for hours over and outfit. Why, oh why did she not pick something more... durable?_

_Now, her dress dragged across the wet dirt ground, snagging on twigs and jutting rocks. Mud oozed onto her hands and feet as she crawled through the cave's entrance. She paid no mind to the dirt, for the thing after her was far worse._

_Soon enough, the cave widened, allowing her to stand. She entered the end, looking around. Drawings were carved on the rock walls, and at the end of it all stood a large, wooden door. She slid down a wall and sat on the leaf-covered floor, curling in on herself. Tears filled her eyes. Why did it have to be today of all days? She hadn't been twelve for even twenty-four hours._

_She started when she thought she saw something move. The cave appeared to be empty, though the wind seemed to be picking up. She shivered and leaned against the wall._

"_AIY!" she screamed, jumping away from it. Something had poked her back, but, besides the drawings, she saw nothing. She touched a picture of a pirate, pulling away quickly when electricity shot up her arm. She backed away, eyes never leaving it. The carving seemed to morph underneath her gaze._

_'Selphie... Selphie... Selphie...'_

_Unfortunately, as she stared at the one picture, she missed the others as they moved against the wall, spinning faster and faster around her. As they moved, the wind moved with them, whipping her hair around her. Only then did she notice; her eyes wide as they darted around the room. She was getting dizzy just by watching them. The spinning carvings surrounded Selphie, the cave closing in around her._

"_Kill her! Murder her! Make her scream!" they cried. She shut her eyes and pressed her hands against her ears in a vain attempt to block them out. She could feel them on top of her, breathing down her neck. They almost had her..._

_The door slammed open._

_Her head snapped up at the noise. The pictures were still spinning, but all she noticed now was the door. She shook, her body racking with sobs as tears streamed down her face. She hadn't even realized she had been crying, the horror too much. Inside the door was only ink-like Darkness, pouring out black tendrils that lapped at her feet. After staring at the dark for a while, she finally saw what she had subconsciously been searching for. The red eyes, as crimson as blood, looked back at her, almost... glaring. The creature walked out, slowly, painfully, limping to her. She almost fainted at the disgusting mess of body it was, but fear kept her conscious. It stopped in front of her, the glare gone, replaced by an unreadable face._

"_Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!" cheered the carvings, glowing red and black._

"_Please... don't hurt me..." Selphie whimpered._

_The creature stared at her a moment, then leaned back and laughed silently, as if the taunting sound couldn't be made but it thought it would. When it calmed, she knew it was over. There was no use pleading with a monster._

_Fang-like teeth grinned, and she was sucked into the Darkness, consumed by crimson._

_**And he won't stop until he's got you...**_

_He had gotten it years ago, but it was now that he regretted it. In Japanese, it meant death; to him, it was just a tattoo, random crimson lines criss-crossing to form an image. But it still held its meaning._

_Now, at age thirteen, with spiky orange hair and brown eyes, he had started to remember the small tattoo on his back. Without a warning, the thought had appeared in his mind, an image of the thing glowing its crimson color. Subconsciously, he had lightly touched the spot, wondering why he had thought of it. Then he had shrugged and headed back towards his friends._

_He wore only swim trunks, playing in the water on his own. Everyone else had gone back, the day coming to a close. But he stayed until the last light of the sun was gone; always had, always would. The waves were calmer, the noise from the other boys gone. Frankly, he enjoyed the peace. But alas, all good things come to an end, and dark overtook the last ray of light. Sighing, he shuffled to shore._

_He never made it._

_A sharp pain shot through him, like electricity. He froze, screaming, the pain hot and white on his back. The tattoo seemed to glow as the feeling grew more intense, bringing him to his knees. His vision became blurry, that he almost missed the figure in front of him. Though if he had, it wouldn't have changed his fate anyway._

_'Wakka...'_

_His eyes widened at the sound of his name. How did this thing know who he was? His breathing came in ragged pants as he tried to speak, but another shock ran through him, preventing him from making any other noise but screams. He was now coated in sweat, and the tattoo was practically on fire. The creature watched, silent, no emotion on his torn face. His scarlet eyes were as bright at the mark, as if controlling it, sucking his power from him._

_Wakka managed to look up yet again, but immediately regretted it. A hand with claw-like nails grabbed his chin, its face inches away from his. His demonic grin had morphed into a knowing smirk. Its eyes flashed, and the pain in his back became almost unbearable._

_His vision swayed, unable to focus. He wanted to hurt it, wanted to kill this thing that had him, but he couldn't, and both knew it. He was trapped. Doomed. But he didn't want to give up without a fight. So jerked his head away, fully aware it had let him go, and staggered to his feet. The thing seemed to find this funny, its shoulders shaking up and down in a mute chuckle. Wakka glared at it, and managed to speak._

"_Wh-Who...?" But he was unable to do more than that, and collapsed in the water yet again._

_He didn't get up. He couldn't._

_The thing grinned, and Wakka was lost it the Darkness. Death, like he had been fated years before. There was one thing he heard before, though._

_'I am Kàtár...'_

_**Roxas...**_

My eyes flew open as I shot up from my bed. I was covered in sweat, my heart racing against my chest. I frantically looked around the room, too aware of the feeling that something was watching me. Though it was bright daylight outside, pouring into my room through the window, I was still on edge. The nightmares had been worse than any I'd had before. I seemed to feel every emotion Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka went through; their pain, their fear... and those _eyes_...

_Kàtár..._

A name. Its name. And with that name, I was going to find out why it was after me, and what I could do about it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Kàtár**

"_**You never know... someone could have been there before you..."**_

Nothing. _Nothing_. Nobody knew anything about a being name 'Kàtár'. I bashed my fist against the keyboard. Stupid computer. Some help you are.

Since Google wasn't helping, I decided to ask around Twilight Town. There had to be a few people around who had heard of it, right?

I asked Mark, the town's Struggle coach, first. I figured he knew a few things about Twilight Town, so maybe he knew about a ghost in its past or something.

"Kàtár? No, don't think I've heard that name before..." he said, putting a hand on his chin in thought. "Is it an old legend?"

I shrugged. "I'm... not sure. That's why I was asking."

He chuckled. "Well, I think whoever told you about it -was it Hayner? Pence?- set you up. Though, if you want, you could check the library. If this 'Kàtár' of yours is real, it'll be there somewhere." He ruffled my hair and grinned. "I'll see you around, alright, Roxas?"

I nodded and waved, then headed for the library. After searching through several books on demons, ghosts, and legends in Twilight Town, I came up just as clueless as before. Maybe my mind had made everything up. Maybe I was just seeing things...

"Hello, Roxas. What brings you here?" I looked up from the books at the librarian, Ms. Gray. She was a small, elderly woman with thick, grey hair tied into a bun and ocean-blue eyes. She wore a sleeveless, purple dress with a white apron over it, and a dark cloth around her neck. I smiled politely at her, though it was weak with frustration.

"Oh, nothing, ma'am. Just trying to get some information..." I pointed to the books in front of me. "They don't seem to be helping, though..."

Ms. Gray picked a book up and observed the title. "Well, what exactly are you looking for? Maybe I could help you." She set down the book and laughed softly. "I've been around long enough, I should know a thing or two about legends."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Uh... well, all I know is this thing's name. Have you heard of anything called 'Kàtár'?"

Her smile dropped at the name. "...My, I haven't heard that in a long time..." she mumbled.

I brightened. "You've heard of Kàtár?!"

Ms. Gray nodded. "Years ago, a man came in here and was doing the exact thing you're doing. I asked what he was up to, and he told me this fascinating tale of a thing named Kàtár. He told me he was trying to uncover its secrets, since he had known the man before he... well... was possessed."

I raised an eyebrow. "Say what now?"

"Kàtár used to be a man, Roxas." She took a seat next to me and sighed, placing her hands on the table in front of us. "I don't know all the details, but he got into trouble, and was possessed by a demon called Kàtár. He was never the same..."

"Who was the man that came in here?" I asked.

"He was new here, I think. Called himself DiZ, though I do believe his real name was Ansem. He and his daughter lived in that old mansion in the woods, and kept away from other people most of the time. That's why I was so surprised to see him. But, after he came in here, I never saw him again." She shook her head.

"Do you know anything else about Kàtár?"

"I'm sorry, Roxas, but I don't. However, I'm sure he might have left something in his home if you check there. Maybe he found something you didn't."

I nodded and stood. "Thank you so much, Ms. Gray. You don't know how important this is to me." I gave her a quick hug, then ran out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Kàtár**

"_**Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free."**_

The old mansion Ms. Gray had talked about happened to be dubbed the 'Haunted Mansion'. Pence and I had once gone here, in curiosity, where he had told me about the legend.

"They say there's a girl who appears at the second floor window, even though no one's lived here for years. Rumor has it her father went crazy, eventually killing himself. After he did, she locked herself in the mansion until she died. But her ghost still haunts the place, looking for her dad." Pence had laughed after that. "Like anyone would believe that; huh, Roxas?"

At the time, I had laughed with him, agreeing. I never was one for 'superstitions'. But now... now, with those creatures after me, and... whatever 'Kàtár' is... I'm not sure what I believe anymore. Ghosts, demons, fairies... they all seemed possible now.

I stood in front of the entrance of the mansion. It was surrounded by a gate that was always locked with a giant padlock. To my surprise, though – and slight horror – the gate was wide open this time. Which is why I first hesitated in going in. After all, what if 'Kàtár' was waiting for me in there?

I glanced nervously at the second floor window and froze. A transparent girl around my age stood in front of the dusty white curtains. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and wore a white dress. Her blue eyes locked with mine. Her frown seemed to deepen, and she mouthed something. When I blinked, she was gone, as if I had only seen the curtains moving in the wind.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding. Perhaps I was just being paranoid. Maybe this all really was just my imagination. Only one way to find out...

I walked inside the front yard, noting the old, crumpling statues in front of it. They used to be figures of people holding objects, but now they only looked like marred creatures in pain and agony. I hurried past the marble and stepped onto the front porch, wondering if I should knock or not. I decided not to when the door creaked open on its own.

Inside was a disaster. It looked like a monster had torn through the place. Holes were in the floor and walls, books were scattered around the place, and one of the staircases was falling, barely held up by random pieces of rotten wood. I headed up the other stairs and took a left, entering the second floor room.

It was stark white inside. In the middle of the room there was a long white table, with a white chair on each end. A white vase full of dead white flowers sat on top of it, as well as a box of crayons, the only color in the room, save the crudely drawings all over the walls, floor, and table. Whoever had been in here had left in a hurry. One of the chairs was pushed back, a drawing sitting in front of it next to the crayons. I observed the picture, recognizing some sort of colorful heart. It didn't make much sense to me, in any way. The good thing was, there was no ghost girl.

_'Roxas...'_

Why did I always jinx myself? I spun around and saw the blonde girl again, standing near the door. I gulped, feeling my heartbeat increase. She glanced at the unfinished drawing, and recognition filled her eyes for a moment, the corners of her mouth lifting in a small smile. Then her gaze fixed on me, and it was gone. She seemed... upset. Worried. She pointed toward the door frantically, mouthing words to quick to comprehend. I tilted my head, not understanding.

_'Kàtár...'_

I blinked, then slowly turned my head towards the door, staring at it. The girl followed my gaze, as if sensing something beyond it. As we stood, I thought I heard something move behind me, but I didn't dare to look. Finally, the girl shook her head at me.

_'Doomed...'_

"Huh?!"

She smiled sadly at me, a lone tear sliding down her right cheek before she disappeared. I reached out for her, as if I could stop it, but she was gone. My legs started to shake. What did she mean, 'doomed'? Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka's images flashed in my mind, but I shook my head to rid them. They were just dreams...

Right?

Thinking the coast was clear, I slid open the door quietly and peeked my head out. When I saw nothing, I opened the door wider and exited. There was another room on the other side of the house, so I headed in that direction. I still wanted to find DiZ's research, ghost girl or not.

That room was more of a library or a study than anything else. Bookshelves covered the walls, and in the middle was a plain table covered with papers. I went to the table and glanced at the one of the papers. My eyes froze when I saw the word Kàtár. It seemed to be a research paper; just what I was looking for. I began reading:

_If you are reading this, then most likely it is too late for you as well. You probably have had the same occurrences, dreams, and problems I have. All connecting to one thing: Kàtár._

_To do this right, I must tell you how Kàtár came to be. The being now known as Kàtár was once known as Riku Masamune. He was a normal human being residing in the Destiny Islands. He was a successful businessman, heir to Masamune Co. Unfortunately, the stock market crashed, and he lost everything. His father died soon after that. Broke, homeless, and lost, he got into the wrong crowd._

_Riku met a woman who called herself 'Maleficent', a type of sorcerer, obsessed with witchcraft. She promised him happiness if he became her apprentice, and he accepted. Unfortunately, something went wrong one day. They were trying to speak with demons, but the one they called was too strong. It took over Riku's body. Maleficent was killed by him. It called itself Kàtár._

_You may or may not know by now what he looks like. The claw-like nails and fangs were created with the possession, along with the soul-sucking eyes. However, the rest of his appearance is either one of two things: the demon's torture to its host, forcing him to injure himself to all points of pain, or Riku's attempt to force the demon out of him, though the feat is impossible. In any case, he used knives to tear his own skin and muscle off of his body, eventually going so far as to slice his own face. Only the skull remains now, showing the blood-like eyes even more. A normal human would be dead. Kàtár kept him alive, trapping him in his own body._

_Kàtár has no pattern of killing. He murders randomly, not caring who or what you are. The way he kills is much the same, not seeming to have an order or a certain way to it._

_You'll know if he's after you. If you're the next victim. You've seen the symbols, haven't you? Upside-down hearts with three thorns? And the sudden freezing temperatures, the whispers of destruction, the grey creatures... He's hunting you down. Toying with you, getting you scared. He's enjoying it._

_The hunt may last from hours, to weeks, to years. There is no escape. He will get you, even if he waits. You're doomed. And you won't be able to get out of this now._

_But run. Never stop running, and never look back. The minute you do, it will consume you. You won't have a chance. Nothing, not anything will be able to save you. So don't stop running, and whatever you do, _don't look back.

_My time is up. I'm afraid that is all the information I can give yo-_

The last letter was long, as if the hand that wrote it was dragged away. I shuddered at the thought and dropped the paper. My heart was beating a thousand miles an hour, or so it seemed. My breath came in ragged pants and I glanced around the room. I was being hunted, by a creature I couldn't control. I heard footsteps behind me and froze. I glanced at the table, then slowly turned around, the reflection of black and red imprinted in my mind.


	9. Chapter 9

**Kàtár**

"_**The end is coming. The dawn of a new era is approaching. But be warned; many will die."**_

DiZ's words were on my mind as I turned around, fearing what horror could be behind me. Kàtár? Another demon? ...Something far worse?

...A cat. A black cat with red paws and golden eyes, sitting in front of the door. I sighed in relief.

"Dumb cat..." I muttered, looking back at the pile of papers on the table. "I almost had a heart attack."

Something gold on the table caught my eye, so I moved aside a few papers to see what it was. A strange symbol was imprinted on the surface; three connected circles each with a heart-like shape inside. I hesitated, then pressed down on it. There was a groan and a creak, and the floor next to me slid away, revealing a hidden room. I jumped down and landed inside, then went in the first room.

This had to have been a lab once, but now it just looked like a computer room. It was almost completely empty, save a few electronics. I walked into the middle of the room, then heard something click behind me.

"Good job, Roxas... You found out about Kàtár." There was a low chuckle. "Though, there's no knowledge that has the power to change your fate, anyway."

A boy with spiky black hair and golden eyes appeared in front of the now-locked door. His arms were crossed and he was leaning against the door, a smug grin on his face.

"W-Who...?"

"Vanitas. But that doesn't matter anyway. What matters is..." He flicked his wrist, and the grey creatures appeared and surrounded me. "...It's over." He laughed again. "Poor little Roxas, so confused, so lost, so scared... hunted by a demon he can't stop..." Vanitas paused, then grinned and pointed behind me. "But perhaps you'd like to meet him yourself...?"

I spun around and gasped. He looked exactly like he had in the dream, red eyes gleaming out from the eye sockets. I backed up, but I was stopped by a wall. Vanitas and the creatures had disappeared, leaving me alone with Kàtár. I gulped. My palms were sweaty, and I could hear my heart beating loudly in my ears. I was sure he could hear it too.

To my surprise, he was armed with an already bloody knife, the color matching his eyes. His fang-like teeth grinned wickedly. I couldn't stop him if I tried, and both of us knew it. Now was the final moment, predator and prey.

Before I could even blink, he attacked. The knife slit across my legs, crippling me. I fell to the ground, tears of pain streaming down my cheeks. I screamed at the burning pain, clutching at the wounds in vain hopes of stopping the blood flow. Kàtár looked down at me, red eyes gleaming. I watched as blood dripped off the knife to the floor in slow, steady drops. _Drip... drip... drip..._ My eyes followed the movement. It distracted me from everything, if just for the moment. The demon wasn't there, the pain wasn't there...

But I was still going to die.

Kàtár swung, the knife flashing through the air. There was a gurgling noise as I tried to scream again, then a thud. Blood pooled around me, so much that my vision was starting to blur. I closed my eyes, the last thing I saw being my decapitated body crumpling to the ground.


	10. Chapter 10

**Kàtár**

"_**With every ending, there is a new beginning..."**_

_Ring..._

"Pick up..."

_Ring..._

"C'mon, please..."

_Ri-_

"Yes!"

"_Hey, this is Roxas Strife."_

"Roxas! It's m-"

"_Sorry I can't come to the phone right- No, no! Axel don't do that! Put it down! Yeesh, I'm trying to- ...Yeah, yeah, I know- ...But I- ...Axel... I'M TRYING TO MAKE A VOICEMAIL MESSAGE, AXEL!"_

"..."

"_..."_

"..."

"_...Leave a message after the-"_

"_Cheeseburger!"_

"_AXEL!"_

_Beep..._

"Uh, hey, Roxas. It's Xion... Look, I just wanted to talk to you. ...Y'know how you said some strange stuff was happening, to you? Well... um... I think I understand now... There's this... symbol I keep finding, and you and Axel won't answer your phones, and... I'm worried. Just... call me back when you get this. _Please_. I'm... I'm scared, Rox."

"_Too late..."_

"...Wait, what was-"

"_Doomed..."_

"Who is-"

"_Kàtár..."_

"Oh my-!"

...Line disconnected.

* * *

**A/N: Finished! And before midnight, too! ^^**

**I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and followed this story! It was a lot of fun to write a horror story, so I'll probably do another one soon. Anywho, ****Happy Halloween! Hope you enjoyed!**


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